Police Investigate Rash of Church’s Chicken Robberies

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Police have arrested three men after three armed robberies on Wednesday night. Police aren't saying the men are suspects in the rash of Church's Chicken robberies.

In the last two weeks, thieves have held up at least two Church's Chicken locations in Missouri. The robbers are getting more violent.

The most recent robbery happened at the Church's Chicken in South Kansas City. Two robbers walked into the restaurant at Longview Road and Blue Ridge Blvd. on Tuesday night. One pulled out a gun and demanded cash from an employee. The robbery was the second one at the restaurant in two weeks. A few days earlier, another Church's Chicken in the area had the same thing happen. Shoukat Ali came face-to-face with the thieves.

"The guy comes from outside and he has a gun," said Shoukat Ali, Church's Chicken employee. "He said give me your money."

He says his co-worker didn't think twice.

I'm just shocked and I'm scared," Ali said. "I look at him and he took some money and he goes outside."

Detectives with the Kansas City Police Department think the crimes at Church's Chicken locations in Kansas City and Raytown are related. There have been four robberies in all. All have been committed by the same two people. Police say the FBI is now involved because the pair is getting more violent.

"In one occasion they shot at the employees, in other occasions they've locked them in rooms," said Detective Dawn Templeton, KCMO Police Dept.

Detectives say the surveillance footage doesn't show who is behind the masks or if there are more than two suspects. Police and store employees are worried because the robbers are still at large. The employees say it's haunting to them to have to come back to work every day.

"I'm worried all the time. All the time I've worked here, I'm a little scared," Ali said.

A Church's spokesperson says the fast food company is offering a $1,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest.